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REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSION fAP- 
POINTED TO IDENTIFY THE GRAVES t- OF 
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF MASSACHU- 
SETTS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR 
COUNTRY IN FRANCE AND IN OTHER 
FOREIGN COUNTRIES DURING T^HE WORLD 
WAR. 

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives. 

Gentlemen: — By the provisions of chapter 616 of the 
Acts of the year 1920, the undersigned were appointed a 
Commission to ascertain the most appropriate methods of 
caring for the graves of the American dead in foreign coun- 
tries; and the Commission was directed to report its inves- 
tigations and recommendations to the General Court not 
later than the fifteenth day of January, 1921. 

The commissioners qualified for their duties before Gov- 
ernor Coolidge June 26, 1920, and soon after organized by 
the choice of Walter A. Robinson as chairman and Robert M. 
Irwin as secretary. 

The act says : — 

... a commission of three persons who shall proceed to ascertain 
the situation of, and to identify, the graves of the men and women of 
Massachusetts who gave their lives for their country in France and in 
other foreign countries during the world war, and the most appropriate 
methods of preserving the identity of the graves, of insuring their proper 
care, and of overseeing exhumation, and transportation to the United 
States of such bodies of Massachusetts dead as are to be transported. 
The commission shall also inquire into the wisdom of the construction 
by the conmionwealth, in France or elsewhere, of a monument or other 
suitable memorial, in commemoration of Massachusetts citizens whose 
lives were so given. 



In official communications the Commission styled itself, 
*' Memorial Commission for Massachusetts Dead of World 
War in Foreign Countries." 

It will be seen from an examination of the act of the 
General Court that the duties of the Commission can be 
grouped under four heads : — 

1. To ascertain the situation of, and to identify the graves 
of, the men and women of IMassachusetts who gave their lives 
for their country in France and in other foreign countries 
during the World War. 

2. To recommend the most appropriate methods of pre- 
serving the identity of such graves and of insuring their 
proper care. 

3. To oversee exhumation and transportation to the United 
States of such bodies of Massachusetts dead as are to be 
transported. 

4. To inquire into the wisdom of construction by the Com- 
monwealth, in France or elsewhere, of a monument or other 
suitable memorial, in commemoration of Massachusetts citi- 
zens whose lives were so given. 

The first duty of the Commission was to ascertain the 
names of the men and women of Massachusetts who had 
died overseas while connected with the World War in any 
capacity. 

Through the Adjutant General of Massachusetts we se- 
cured the names of 3,080, which formed the basis of our 
card catalogue. Each card gave the individual history in 
the following form : — 



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The War Department at "Washington said they were not able 
to assist us because of a pressure of other duties for their clerks, 
and could not allow the Commission to examine the records. 
The similar records of the Navy Department, however, were 
laid before the Commission for information and guidance. 
To make the record of deaths overseas as complete as pos- 
sible, the Commission circularized the town and city clerks 
in Massachusetts, every church, every Legion post, and every 
fraternal, charitable and welfare organization, telling them 
the duty laid upon the Commission and asking for the names 
and records of service of all "gold star" men within their 
knowledge. The responses were immediate and satisfactory 
in the information they gave, but were, of course, many 
times duplicated. 

By September 1 the Commission had the names of 4,654 
Massachusetts men and women who had died in military or 
naval service of the United States. 

The information that could not be furnished in this coun- 
try was the cemetery and the row and number of the graves 
we needed to identify. This was only contained in the rec- 
ords of the Graves Registration Department in Paris and 
in London. Hoping to gain time for field work, the Com- 
mission entrusted a copy of its lists to Col. Harry Cutler of 
the National Jewish Welfare Association, who was proceed- 
ing early in August to London and to Paris to report upon 
the Jewish dead in the American cemeteries. He had an 
official status under the War Department by appointment of 
Secretary Baker. Unfortunately, Col. Cutler died soon after 
his arrival in London, and his effects, including our lists, 
were returned to his relatives in America. 

The Commission sailed from New York September 9, 1920. 

A summary of the activities of the Commission may be 
stated as follows : — 

Upon our arrival in Paris an interview^ was obtained with 
Col. Rethers, in charge of the Graves Registration Depart- 
ment of Europe. Our Commission presented the letter of 
Secretary of War Baker, directing all officials of the War 
Department to be of as much service to us as the regulations 
of the War Department would allow. 

This letter follows herewith : — 



War Department, 
Washington, Aug. 23, 1920. 

Memorandum for Officers of the United States Army on Duty 

IN Europe. 

1. The Massachusetts State Memorial ComiBission for Massachusetts 
Dead of the World War in Foreign Countries is about to proceed to 
Europe for the purpose of \dsiting cemeteries in which the dead of that 
State are interred. 

2. This Commission desires such assistance in the performance of 
its mission as can be rendered, and I desire the military authorities now 
on dutj^ in the countries it may visit to extend all courtesies to the 
members, and extend whatever material aid is possible in conformity 
with. Army regulations. 

Newton D. Baker, 
Seo'etary of War. 

There the Commission examined the plans for the care of 
the cemeteries and of the individual graves, and were in- 
formed of the progress already made in concentration of the 
bodies from the smaller cemeteries into the larger, the process 
of exhumation and return of the bodies to the United States, 
and the decision of the War Department that eventually 
there would be maintained in France but four cemeteries, 
and in Great Britain no more than one. 

From France the Commission proceeded to London. Here 
they consulted with the American Graves Registration De- 
partment for Great Britain and the British Graves Registra- 
tion Department. For it should be known, that as soon as 
the United States began to send troops through Great 
Britain, and to use its fleet in co-operation with the British 
fleet, the British War Department obtained permission to 
provide cemeteries for American dead and to take care of 
the graves. These officials entered fully and heartily into 
plans to make our work effective. 

In London two lists had to be examined, the one containing 
the names of all the American dead out of which to select 
those from Massachusetts, and the other, the names of those 
whose bodies had already been returned to the United 
States. We found that about 90 per cent of all the dead 
had been returned to the home cemeteries in America, and 
the Massachusetts dead were to be found in widely separated 



6 

cemeteries. The Commission singly, or in groups, visited 
each of these cemeteries and took photographs of the graves. 

On the completion of its work in the British Isles, the 
Commission was engaged in further conferences with the 
French War Office, in observing exhumations and care of 
bodies being concentrated for return to America, and in 
photographing individual graves in large and small ceme- 
teries at considerable distances from Paris. 

Tlie French High Commission, learning of our presence in 
France and the mission with which we were charged, arranged 
for an interview with Marshals Foch and Joffre. These high 
oflScers expressed a deep interest in our work, praised the 
valor, effectiveness and resourcefulness of the American 
armies, and, with great feeling, thanked America • for its 
abundant aid in the Great War, and expressed profound 
sympathy and sorrow for those who had suffered for those 
who had fallen and for those who must go through life under 
the shadow of a great bereavement. Marshal Joffre recalled 
with pleasure the cordiality of the friends he made when he 
visited America, and ]Marshal Foch anticipated a visit which 
should renew friendly relations with his many comrades-in- 
arms among the veterans of the A. E. F. 

The reports follow: — 

1. The duty under the first paragraph the Commission 
thought would be fulfilled if they visited every cemetery 
in which the Massachusetts dead were buried and photo- 
graphed the individual graves. While in Great Britain the 
Commission completed this service in that kingdom. The 
American dead to the number of 2,579 were to be found 
at the close of hostilities in 27 cemeteries in England, in 7 
cemeteries in Scotland, in 3 cemeteries in Ireland and in 1 
cemetery in Wales. Requests for the return of bodies to 
America had been granted up to about 90 per cent of the 
total, and these had been exhumed and returned to the 
home cemeteries. Most of those remaining were the victims 
of the sinking by torpedo of the "Otranto," "Tuscania" and 
"Leinster." Bodies that were washed ashore were mainly 
unidentified. Several hundred were buried on the islands 
of Islay and Argyle. By the generosity of Americans 



residing in London, perpetual care has been assured for their 
graves, and a circular monument of massive proportions, 
made of the native rocks, has been erected in their memory. 

In the summer of 1920, the American dead in France were 
contained in 417 cemeteries, and the Massachusetts dead 
were in about 208 of these. The brief time at our disposal, 
the lateness and the inclemency of the season, did not per- 
mit our visiting all of these. Most of the larger ones, in 
the zone of the armies, came under our observation, as 
also smaller ones, in the vicinity of Bordeaux, Calais, 
Amiens, Boulogne, Neufchateau, Blois, Tours, and Genoa, 
Italy. About 900 photographs of individual graves have 
been taken, which it is planned to forward to the next of 
kin of the deceased soldier. 

On Feb. 1, 1920, the War Department reports show that 
requests had been made for the return of 43,909 bodies of 
those who had died over seas, and the Commission was in- 
formed by the Graves Registration Department at Paris that 
since that date additional requests have been received for 
the return of our dead. We have also been informed that 
some of the original requests for the return of bodies have 
been canceled and the bodies of the dead allowed to remain 
in France, due to the information which has reached America 
as to the excellent care which has been taken by the United 
States government of the cemeteries in France and for other 
reasons, so that it is impossible to give an exact figure as to 
the number of American dead of the World War which will 
finally remain in France. 

2. The Commission interpreted the second duty laid upon 
it to report upon the care that was being taken of the ceme- 
teries. 

Our report upon American cemeteries in Great Britain is,, 
briefly, that the graves of our dead were as well cared for 
as were those of the British dead lying near them. As we 
have reported elsewhere, following the simple notice of the 
War Department that the next of kin could claim their dead, 
90 per cent of all the American bodies have been returned 
to America. That means that every cemetery has been 
invaded, and, pending the decision of the War Department, 



8 

or the action of Congress as to the question of concentration 
overseas, or the return of all bodies to America, naturally 
no work would be done looking to beautifying the ceme- 
teries. 

In France the Commission reports that all the larger ceme- 
teries we visited have been well cared for. A mantle of 
green sod, always well watered and trimmed with great 
care, covers each grave, and gravel walks are hard and well 
graded. Potted plants in jardinieres of regulation size are 
now allowed to be placed near the head of the grave; and 
wreaths or bouquets of flowers and vines, natural or artificial, 
may lie flat upon the graves as long as they are fresh and 
decorative and do not destroy the growing grass. The 
largest cemeteries are under the care of trained gardeners 
with plenty of helpers. Tliose of medium size have as care- 
takers ex-soldiers living near by in small houses put up for 
their use by the War Department. 

3. No duty touching more vitally the families who lost 
relatives in the World War was laid ui)on the Commission 
than the one that directed them to be present at the exliuma- 
tion and identification of bodies of soldiers, to see how the 
remains were disposed of in the caskets, and then to follow 
the precious dust to the port where it lies in state in a Hall 
of Honor, guarded by sentinels and covered with the 
American flag. 

Tliis work is performed by special details of officers and 
soldiers of the Army and specially trained men from civilian 
life, all under the direction of Col. H. F. Rethers, head of the 
American Graves Registration Service in Europe, with head- 
quarters in Paris. Two details of about 25 or 30 men each 
were at work in cemeteries in two different areas of France. 
There are about a half dozen of these areas, each tributary 
to a port, as Calais, Brest, St. Xazaire, Bordeaux and 
Marseilles. At each port are government buildings con- 
taining storehouses for the supplies of every kind, coming 
from America, to be used in connection with the disinterment 
and return of the bodies. Tlie metallic coffins are tested 
under sustained pressure, and then lined with silk. In the 
sewing room, pillows are made, one for the head and five 



more to maintain the body in position. The oak caskets 
are tested and strengthened and the handles are protected; 
and the shipping cases are thoroughly examined, and rein- 
forced by strong cleats when found necessary. All this work 
is done before the caskets and cases are sent out to the 
cemeteries. A Hall of Honor is the essential feature of each 
port building, wherein the bodies waiting transhipment lie 
in state under a guard of honor. 

While a cemetery is being operated upon, a high canvas 
fence is thrown around it, and the entrance guarded. A pass 
from Col. Rethers is required for admission, and is granted 
only to those who have official standing in connection with 
the work being done. Four large cemeteries, Romagne, 
Belleau Woods, Suresnes and Bony, have been designated as 
"permanent." In all others, every body is being disinterred, 
identified, if possible, and encofiined; and sent to the ship- 
ping port if the body has been ordered home, or reinterred 
for subsequent concentration in France; or, if the family 
requests it, returned to America. 

In the American cemeteries the work of uncovering the 
bodies is done by French contractors with unskilled labor. 
Thereafter, the detail of soldiers and the Army and civilian 
experts, alone, make contact with the remains and the 
carriers. 

It will be interesting to the citizens of the Commonwealth 
to have the particulars of the w^ork of the Graves Registra- 
tion Department in making it reasonably certain that only 
identified bodies are returned to the next of kin. The first 
care is to identify the body. If the metal tag which is about 
the neck or wrist is the duplicate of the tag fastened to 
the marker above ground, the identification is considered 
complete. The soldiers are for guards and patrol duty, and 
to man the trucks and cars. The experts are divided into 
groups of five or six, — one each, — a doctor, an embalmer 
and a clerk, and two or three who examine minutely the 
remains. A dental surgeon is a member of each detail. 
The pockets may and often do contain money, checks and 
Liberty Bonds, sometimes jewelry and a watch. 'These are 
listed to be sent to the next of kin. Packages of letters, 



10 

after having been used for confirming the identity, and all 
other contents of the pockets are listed and are placed in the 
inner casket. Tlie final test of identity which is applied to 
every body exhumed is the chart of the teeth and jaws. It 
is not generally known that the jaw and teeth charts of fully 
90 per cent of the millions composing the Army and the Navy 
in the World War are on file in Washington. A copy made 
in the cemetery is sent to Washington and is compared with 
those on file there. In due time a statement like the follow- 
ing is returned: — 

Dental chart No. is found to be identical with chart 

No. in this office, which belonged to [and gives 

the name, home town and organization]. We find that this organiza- 
tion engaged in the movements in sector where this body 
was found. The body can be no other than 

It was estimated that in each area being worked a dozen 
perfect identifications were made in this way each month. 
When it is remembered that of the 75,000 dead possibly 
1,000 were unidentified, because of the absence of the tags 
when disinterred, and concentrated into the American ceme- 
teries, the number of unidentified dead will be materially 
reduced. 

When the body in the cemetery has been identified, or it 
has been definitely decided that it cannot be without fur- 
ther investigation of records, it is wrapped in a new army 
blanket and gently placed in a metal casket; and a metal 
strip, giving in stamped letters the name and outfit, is fas- 
tened across the breast. A pillow is placed under the head, 
and five or more other pillows are so disposed as to keep 
the body in place. A new sheet is then tucked in around the 
remains and the lid is fastened with 30 or more bolts, the 
seams being made perfectly tight with a gasket painted 
with asphaltum. This casket is placed inside an oak casket 
which is also carefully fitted and bolted. This again is 
identified with a copy of the metal strip containing the name 
and outfit, and is enclosed in an ample shipping case of 
strong boards well fastened. On the outside of the shipping 
case is the metal strip of identification, and stencilled on the 



11 

side and on the end are again the name and outfit, and the 
name and address of the consignee. 

No body can be sent to America until it has been posi- 
tively identified. 

From cemeteries near the port of shipment, up to 40 or 
50 miles, bodies are transported by truck. From greater 
distances they are concentrated at railroad stations by 
trucks and come to the port in box cars, under guard. 

Transports bring supplies for the American Army of 
Occupation and the Graves Registration Department, and, 
on their return, they take on special equipment for the 
careful and safe carrying of the returned bodies. Each 
casket is bracketed and fastened into its place, and special 
apparatus, designed to prevent any possible accident or 
rough usage in loading, is installed at each port. Massa- 
chusetts has, up to this time, been the only State to make 
an independent and thorough examination of this unattrac- 
tive, but very necessary, work of the Graves Registration 
Department, to ascertain if their findings are to be given 
full faith and credit by our people. Our inquiry and in- 
vestigation appear to justify the claims of the department 
that every effort has been made to do the business part 
accurately, decently and with all respect, and after that to 
bestow the honors due to the heroic dead. The Commission, 
standing with devoted American officers and civilians in 
charge of the work, and in the presence of a thousand 
receptacles of the dust that was the living wall against 
which the Hun raged in vain, expressed their admiration of 
the devoted work of the department, and their perfect 
satisfaction with it. 

After a brief consultation, the officers brought to the 
Commission an American garrison flag that had covered the 
casket of a Massachusetts soldier, and requested that it be 
conveyed to America and presented to the Governor of 
Massachusetts in behalf of the American Graves Registration 
Service in Europe, to express the gratification of this ser- 
vice at the report of the Commission, and at the thoughtful- 
ness of the Commonwealth in providing for the examination 
just made. They suggested that it find a place of honor in 



12 



the State House. This fla": was presented to His Excellency 
Governor Coolidge in the Hall of Flags, Wednesday, Decem- 
ber 22, at 3.30 p.m., in the presence of many citizens and 
soldiers. It was received by the Governor with honor and 
with affection, and he promised to ])lace it among the 
cherished treasures of the Commonwealth. 

Recommendations. — {a) That the work of identifying and 
photographing individual graves in France be continued and 
completed during the coming spring and summer. 

(6) That observation of the condition of cemeteries in 
France be extended until all have been visited. 

(c) That further A'isits be made to the cemeteries in France 
where exhumations and identifications are being carried on, 
and that transportation and concentration and loading be 
again observed. The War Department maintains an official 
escort on the transport returning with American dead. The 
work in the cemeteries is so wearing upon the nerves that 
the personnel of the details is continually changing, Massa- 
chusetts would do well to assure itself that not only was 
this important work done well in 1920, but that it is being 
equally well done in 1921. 

{d) Tliat all places in France where citizens of Massachu- 
setts connected with the Great War met their death, so far 
as they can be identified, be photographed; that one copy 
be the property' of the Commonwealth as a part of the 
historical documents of the World War, and another, and 
possibly the negative, be the treasured memorial of a life 
given in a great service. 

4. The Commission desires to report at this time 
"progress" in its duty to recommend a site for a monu- 
ment or other memorial to the heroic services rendered by 
Massachusetts men in the great conflict. The task is not 
an easy one, and the Commission is approaching it b}^ 
collecting as many of the facts as will determine where 
Massachusetts units, as well of small as of large size, and 
even individuals, stood and battled in the great offensive of 
1918. They traversed the battle fields, on foot and by 
auto, making long hours, for many continuous days. The 
Commission took panoramic views of the battle fields and 
the terrain over which the Massachusetts troops moved. 



13 

They have secured profile maps of four of the great battle 
areas, on which are located, with great accuracy of detail 
and of distance, towns and hills, valleys and woods, roads, 
bridges and water courses. With these for reference and a 
further study of statistics, the Commission requests permis- 
sion to make a report not later than March 1. 

The Commission is convinced that every service has not 
been rendered to the honored dead, and that the full measure 
of comfort has not been brought to equally brave but 
sorrowing relatives, until the individual memorial of stead- 
fast courage and sacrifice has been prepared. The Com- 
mission is now adding to the record of service on its cards 
the accurate location of the place in France where each one 
met his death. 

The Commission is indebted to Col. H. F. Rethers, head 
of the Graves Registration Service in Europe, for many 
courtesies and valuable assistance in their work. They 
considered him fortunate in having under him such an 
efficient personnel of officers, non-commissioned officers and 
privates in the field work. They desire, in this connection, 
to mention the names of Colonel Moss of the Graves Regis- 
tration Service of Great Britain, Maj. H. L. Ward and 
Maj. L. O. Mathews, port officers at Calais and Bordeaux, 
and Capt. S. D. Campbell and Capt. W. G. Burt, masters 
of sections 1 and 6, in the vicinity of Amiens and Soissons. 
To Mr. H. T. McCrea, taken from a prominent civilian 
activity in Worcester and made supervisory embalmer to 
the department, we were referred for information concerning 
matters pertaining to caskets and their fittings. By his 
devotion to duty and marked efficiency, he reflected honor 
upon the Commonwealth. 

Respectfully submitted, 

WALTER A. ROBINSON, Chairman. 
EDWARD L. LOGAN. 
AXEL E. ZETTERMAN. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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